Systems and methods for implementing user-customizable operability for imaging operations in image forming devices

ABSTRACT

A system and method are provided by which a user can operate any particular image forming device in a manner that emulates any other particular image forming device. These systems and methods decouple the user from a device-specified origin, or device-specified order of operations, by affording the user an opportunity, at a graphical user interface of an image forming device, to pick an origin and an order of operations that the user desires be undertaken by the image forming device. An ability to pick which origins and orders of operations the user desires allows for establishment of a policy for image forming operations in multiple different image forming devices. The user can define the order of operations when the user walks up to the machine. Otherwise, a system administrator may set up a particular user desired origin and order of operations as a system policy to convert printing job tickets.

This application is related to U.S. patent application Ser. Nos.13/155,756, filed Jun. 8, 2011, entitled “Frame-Based Coordinate SpaceTransformations Of Graphical Image Data In An Image Processing System,”and 13/155,723, filed Jun. 8, 2011, entitled “Image Operations UsingFrame-Based Coordinate Space Transformations Of Image Data In A DigitalImaging System.” These applications are co-owned by the Assignee of thisapplication. The disclosures of the related applications are herebyincorporated by reference herein in their entirety.

BACKGROUND

1. Field of Disclosed Subject Matter

This disclosure relates to systems and methods for implementinguser-customizable operability for imaging operations in image formingdevices.

2. Related Art

Office level image forming devices combine image forming processes andassociated media handling and finishing processes in a single device.What is not clear to the common user is that any particular imaging taskor job requested by the user to be carried out by the office level imageforming device includes multiple individual imaging operations eachaccording to specified orthogonal orientations. Different imagingdevices behave differently with regard to these individual imagingoperations. The differing behaviors can occur across imaging devicesfrom a same manufacturer, or across like devices produced by differingvendors.

An exemplary and non-exhaustive list of individual imaging operationsincludes scaling or sizing, translation or image shift, mirroring orreflecting, and rotation of images in two dimensions and of imagereceiving media in three dimensions. These operations are generallyspecifically ordered for a particular image forming device. Individualimage forming operations are non-commutative. Thus, differing orders ofthe operations manipulate an input image receiving media in differentways. As such, certain manipulation of the order of the operations,including adding additional steps, is often undertaken to produce arepeatable output based on an ordering of the operations. Thismanipulation can make the outcome of the operations repeatable for aparticular device. Any change in an order of operations, however, as aset of transformations, will typically result in a different outputunless modified in some manner that may or may not be available to thesystem designer and/or programmer. Frequently, it is only through anextensive iterative trial and error process that a user will get animaging job to run as desired to produce, for example, the desiredoutput orientation for an imaged and finished document on a particulardevice and this effort is not translatable to another device.

An example of an image forming device that exhibits the characteristicbehaviors discussed above is a multi-function device (MFD). The MFD isan office level or light production image forming and media handlingdevice that incorporates multiple common image forming and mediahandling functionalities including printing, scanning, faxing, viewingand copying. MFDs provide a smaller footprint in an office environmentthan would a combination of individual devices that individually carryout the respective image forming functions.

As is mentioned briefly above, conventionally, imaging operations, andan order of the imaging operations, such as rotation, scaling, andtranslation, are generally fixed within a device. These operations aregenerally fixed relative to a specific operation origin, and in aspecific orientation (along specified axes of operations) with respectto that origin. Since such operations are non-commutative, order issignificant when performing more than one operation. However, theordering of the operations is often implicit and therefore unobvious toa user. Vendors often build the imaging hardware and then place a userinterface on top of the hardware by which the user is able tocommunicate with the image processing system in a limited manner, but bywhich the user is unable to effect any change in an order of operationsin the underlying hardware, or to specify a different origin, or axes ofoperations, from which imaging operations should take place.

The above difficulties can be compounded based on conventionalapproaches to programming schemes for office level devices thatinconsistently characterize orientations of images and image receivingmedia. Rather than characterizing imaging orientations according to anycommon and manipulable mathematical framework, descriptive terms (orenumerations), such as “faceup” or “facedown,” and “inboard” or“outboard,” among others, are used to describe directions. Thesedescriptive terms may be generally understood and tracked in the contextof a particular image forming device. Interpretation of thesedescriptive terms, however, between different devices, particularlythose of different manufacturers, tends to be inconsistent and thereforehaphazard. The descriptive terms are often not consistent across devicesand manufacturers as variations in the descriptive terms may be employedby individual manufacturers, or applied to individual devices leading todifficulties in interpretation between different devices. In otherwords, different words may be used to describe the same or similaroperations, thereby leading to interpretational difficulties. Even ifconsistent descriptive terms are used, the points of origin for theoperations and directions in which the operations are undertaken(orthogonal orientations) may differ between devices and betweenmanufacturers. Many times devices or fleets of devices, even whenproduced by a same manufacturer, use different origin points and/orcoordinate references as a basis by which to interpret the descriptivelabels for the orientations of images and image receiving media inindividual devices. Without a common frame of reference, the descriptiveterms are left to the interpretation of the individual devices accordingto individual device frames of reference as individual devices carry outelectronic image scanning and processing functions as well as mechanicalimage media handling and finishing functions.

In a broad context, overall imaging operations such as device specificscaling, translation, reflection, rotation and edge erase areindividually undertaken relative to a particular coordinate spacereferenced to a particular origin for a particular device that may becompletely different from another coordinate space referenced to anotherorigin for another device. The coordinate spaces and origins by which aparticular image forming device references image and image receivingmedia orientations can differ from device to device.

As indicated above, origins, directions of execution (axes ofoperations) and orders of particular internal operations are often fixedfor each individual image forming device. Conventionally, the usercannot generally select a different origin, i.e., a particular corner,the center, or an arbitrary point in the imaging frame, different axesof orientations or a different order of operations for a particulardevice. The user cannot generally specify a different direction ofrotation, or a different edge about which image media is to be flippedfrom, for example, a faceup to a facedown orientation.

The point at which the above difficulties may particularly manifestthemselves is when the user enters a competitive environment. The userwould prefer to approach any of the differing, apparently similar,devices and operate them in the same manner to achieve repeatableoutcomes. Depending on a particular origin that is referenced by aparticular system, the manner by which the sheet flows through theparticular system, and how the platens and/or rulers are set up in theparticular system, ordering of particular operations will likely resultin an output from that particular system that differs from an outputfrom another system, much to the customer dissatisfaction.

This difficulty also manifests itself in the formulation of job ticketsfor image forming operations across differing office level devices.Because a particular order of operations is non-commutative, a jobticket formulated for one device, which is run on a separate device, mayresult in an output that is not in accordance with the user's desires.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSED EMBODIMENTS

In view of the above-identified shortfalls in conventional image formingdevices, previous research by the inventor of the subject matter of thisdisclosure has defined a common framework for representation of imageorigins and coordinate spaces across multiple devices. See, e.g.,co-owned U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 13/155,756, entitled“Frame-Based Coordinate Space Transformations Of Graphical Image Data InAn Image Processing System” and 13/155,723, entitled “Image OperationsUsing Frame-Based Coordinate Space Transformations Of Image Data In ADigital Imaging System.”

In a three-dimensional system, there is a set of forty-eight definablecoordinate systems that represent all of the possible orthogonalorientations for image receiving media in an image forming device. (Notethat imaging in an MFD typically occurs in a two-dimensional coordinatesystem. In the two-dimensional system, there is a set of eight definablecoordinate systems that may simply be considered a subset of the set offorty-eight definable three-dimensional coordinate systems in which Z isconsistently set to zero). In actuality, one of the forty-eightvariations represents the standard Cartesian coordinate system, and theother forty-seven variations are deviations from that standard. For easeof interpretation, and to avoid confusion, this disclosure will refer tothe available set of coordinate systems as “the forty-eight coordinatesystems.” This set of forty-eight coordinate systems is based on theexistence of six sets of XYZ orientations that can be mapped to each ofthe eight corners of a cube representing the three-dimensional system.These forty-eight coordinate systems can, in turn, be mathematicallyrepresented according to a corresponding set of forty-eight individualmathematical representations to respectively identify each of thecoordinate systems.

Examples of limited numbers of the above-described mathematicalrepresentations are presented in the above-identified co-owned U.S.patent applications. FIGS. 1A and 1B illustrate an examplecorrespondence between a visual representation of a three-dimensionalcoordinate system 100 and a corresponding mathematical representation150 according to this inventor's previous work as a foundation for thedisclosed systems and methods. As shown in FIG. 1A, the coordinatesystem may be visually represented as having an origin 110 from whichorthogonal axes, X-axis 120, Y-axis 130 and Z-axis 140 emanate. Theorigin 110 could be any one of the eight corners of the depicted cube.Varying combinations of the axes will emanate from each of those originsresulting collectively in the forty-eight non-standard coordinatesystems discussed above. A mathematical representation 150, in amathematical matrix format as shown in FIG. 1B, may be assigned to eachof the forty-eight non-standard coordinate systems. The assignment ofmathematical representations, in a mathematical matrix format, as shown,facilitates combining program operations (transformations) using matrixalgebra as a processing medium for the systems and methods according tothis disclosure. It should be noted that the specific mathematicalrepresentations shown in FIG. 1B, and in the referenced documents, areonly examples of the mathematical representation matrices that could beemployed to define each of the forty-eight non-standard coordinatesystems. Those of skill in the art of image forming systems andmathematics will recognize that a particular three-dimensionalcoordinate system can be represented in a number of different waysmathematically in the form of a numerical matrix.

Regardless of their construct, the corresponding set of forty-eightindividual mathematical representations, when taken together, define amathematical group under the operations of rotation and reflection. Withthe forty-eight coordinate systems being defined or representedmathematically, matrix algebra is applied in manipulation of theindividual mathematical transformations to rotate or reflect theorthogonal orientations represented by the coordinate systems todifferent ones of the forty-eight possible orientations. Each resultantorientation is a member of the mathematical group. Any series ofmultiple operations applied to a beginning orientation necessarilyresults in an ending orientation that is defined as one of theorientations in the group.

An advantage of finding a common definition or interpretation for themultiple non-standard coordinate systems, as they are applied todiffering image forming devices is that individual orientations ofimages and image receiving media between differing image forming devicescan be unambiguously expressed and manipulated according to the commonmathematical framework. Coordination can then be effected betweenoperations in differing devices according to a user's desires.Application of the mathematical framework provides a capability by whichthe effects of changes that are made in an order of imaging operationscan be accurately predicted and evaluated, obviating the requirement forconventional complex trial and error processes in order to achieve ormaintain the desired output from any particular image forming device.The derived mathematical framework facilitates a level of automation andprecision that was previously unavailable to system designers and/orprogrammers.

The above-referenced prior work of the inventor of the subject matter ofthis application described image and image receiving media orthogonalorientations using the group of forty-eight coordinate systems (ororthogonal orientation matrices). The solution presented in thatprevious work was limited to generating the specified set ofmathematical representations forming the mathematical group that couldthen be manipulated using matrix algebra principles to provide anexample of a common mathematical framework for interpreting theorthogonal orientations of images and image receiving media in imageforming devices in a manner that is device and/or vendor agnostic.

What that work further provided, and was limited to, was a system andmethod for transforming graphics coordinates between different models ofimage processing systems. Using the method previously disclosed, a usercould readily configure an image forming device to receive image datafrom a device platen in a first coordinate space and map the receiveddata to a second coordinate space for subsequent processing independentof whether the two coordinate spaces share the same origins.Implementations were provided that enable a user to configure an imageprocessing system to transform image data to any desired processingorientation.

It would be advantageous in view of the above-identified previous workin orientation tracking to provide a system and method that wouldcombine the orientation approaches described above with reference tothis inventor's previous work with existing algorithmic approaches toprovide a user with a mechanism by which to cause a particular imageforming device to appear to operate generically according to the user'sdesires based on user manipulation at, for example, graphical userinterface (GUI).

Exemplary embodiments may employ concepts related to emulationprocessing to make the outputs from respective different image formingdevices look the same according to user-specified inputs. Emulationprocessing generally provides an opportunity by which to addresshardware differences with a software overlay. In this regard, emulationprocessing essentially makes separate sets of hardware modules appear tooperate consistently to a user. For example, when a user chooses toscale up an image, the software processes the request such that theoutput may be made to appear the same to the user regardless of theunderlying hardware. Emulation processing, therefore, is intended toprovide common outputs across a broad spectrum of image forming devicesthat are differently constructed according to their underlying hardwarecomponents. The emulation processing must address not only differingorigins, but also must address differing axes of operations and ordersof operations which are, as indicated above, non-commutative.

The previous disclosures focus on specific emulations, and frame-basedmethods for implementing those emulations, but stop short of identifyinga mechanism for specific user interaction to define an origin, a set ofaxes of operations and an order of operations in order to direct therepeatable outcome.

Exemplary embodiments may enable application of orientation algorithmsto provide a flexible, user customizable set of imaging operationbehaviors by allowing a user to explicitly order imaging operations inany desired order, and according to a specific origin, and/or aspecified set of axes of operations in a particular image for device.User-directed reordering may be accomplished via commonly-understooddrag-and-drop operability given specially-adapted user interfaces bywhich to accomplish these functions.

Exemplary embodiments may provide the user a mechanism by which toselect a different origin by visually choosing and designating a newcorner in a graphical representation of an image receiving mediumoperated on by the image forming device presented on, for example, agraphical user interface of the image forming device.

In exemplary embodiments, as ordering of operations or origins arechanged by the user, previously selected numerical values such as, forexample, for scaling an image may be automatically recalculated andapplied.

Exemplary embodiments may provide a mechanism for special handling ofjob tickets. Calculations of transformations may be undertaken andapplied to the job tickets in order to modify the operations representedby the job tickets in a manner that is decoupled from any particulardevice at defines, for example, an origin, a set of axes of operationsand an order of operations to be undertaken by the image forming devicethat executes the job ticket.

Exemplary embodiments may implement calculating mathematicalrepresentations that characterize the operations (transformations)needed to map from the original parameters for a specific image formingdevice to the target parameters chosen by the user based on input madeby the user via a graphical user interface of the image forming device.Other exemplary embodiments may implement calculating via an imageforming utility executed on, for example, a separate computerworkstation. Either of these implementations affords the user theopportunity to interactively undertake a visual setup, which may beautomatically converted to a mathematical representation in order that,regardless of device, a common interpretation of the instructionsprovided by the user is implemented. The computer workstation-basedimplementation may translate the visual setup automatically to convert,for example, a large number of existing job tickets for from one formatdirected at a particular device to another format directed to adifferent device. Formats can be proprietary, or according to anindustry standard. The disclosed mapping schemes may aid in commonlydescribing any combination of formats to, for example, aid in convertinglegacy formats to an industry standard format, or to consume a standardformat and map it to internal ways of doing things within a device.

Exemplary embodiments may implement the above concepts in a practicalmanner that “makes those ideas work” on any particular image formingdevice by focusing on the user operability to make the system work andby specifying how the system looks to the user, and what the mechanismis for user interaction.

Exemplary embodiments may bypass the inherent coordinate space builtinto each of the hardware and/or the software for particular imageformed device by decoupling the user's experience from the specifics ofthe software or the hardware construct including origins and directionsof operations that are programmed into the particular image formingdevice. In other words, operation of a particular image forming deviceis decoupled from being defined by the underlying hardware, or softwarein a manner that is manipulable by user interaction via the userinterface.

Exemplary embodiments may provide the user a scheme by which to operateany particular image forming device in a manner that emulates any otherparticular image forming device. The user can specify an origin and axesof operations emanating from the user-selected origin. For example,users tend to be comfortable with X being a spanwise or horizontal axis,and Y being a lengthwise axis orthogonal to the “X axis” in the plane ofthe platen for image forming devices. This need not be the case.According to the disclosed embodiments, the user may select axes ofoperations for the system to operate in the manner of the user'schoosing. The user can also define the order of operations. Inembodiments, the user may also be afforded an opportunity toindependently select a direction of rotation for operations in theparticular image forming device. The user can accomplish this at a pointwhere the user walks up to the machine. Otherwise, a systemadministrator may set up a particular user desired origin in order ofoperations as a system policy.

These and other features, and advantages, of the disclosed systems andmethods are described in, or apparent from, the following detaileddescription of various exemplary embodiments.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Various exemplary embodiments of the disclosed systems and methods forimplementing user-customizable operability for imaging operations inimage forming devices will be described, in detail, with reference tothe following drawings, in which:

FIGS. 1A and 1B illustrate an example correspondence between a visualrepresentation of a three-dimensional coordinate system and acorresponding mathematical representation according to this inventor'sprevious work as a foundation for the disclosed systems and methods;

FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary configuration for a first page of auser-interactive display for implementing the systems and methodsaccording to this disclosure;

FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary configuration of a second page of auser-interactive display for implementing the systems and methodsaccording to this disclosure;

FIG. 4 illustrates a block diagram of an exemplary system forimplementing user-customizable operability for imaging operations inimage forming devices according to this disclosure; and

FIG. 5 illustrates a flowchart of an exemplary method for implementinguser-customizable operability for imaging operations in image formingdevices according to this disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DISCLOSED EMBODIMENTS

The systems and methods for implementing user-customizable operabilityfor imaging operations in image forming devices according to thisdisclosure will generally refer to this specific combination ofutilities or functions for those systems and methods. Exemplaryembodiments described and depicted in this disclosure should not beinterpreted as being specifically limited to any particular imageforming device configuration, including to any particular configurationgraphical user interface associated with any particular image formingdevice, or configuration of any computing device that may be employed insupport of the image forming device. No particular set of mathematicalrepresentations associated with a set of coordinate spaces (ororthogonal orientations) in two or three dimensions is implied nor isany particular programming language or scheme implicated. Additionally,the systems and methods according to disclosure should not beinterpreted as being specifically directed to any particular intendeduse. Any methodology for controlling operations in an image formingdevice that may benefit from the disclosed systems and methods iscontemplated.

Specific reference to, for example, an image forming device throughoutthis disclosure should not be considered as being limited to anyparticular type of image forming device including, for example, any of aprinter, a copier or a multi-function device. The term “image formingdevice,” as referenced throughout this disclosure is intended to referglobally to virtually any device or system that includes variouscapabilities for electronic image processing and/or image receivingmedia handling, including feeding and finishing, that generally (1)receives an image from an image source and an image receiving mediumfrom an image receiving medium source, (2) registers the image on theimage receiving medium and (3) finishes the image forming process bymechanically moving the image receiving medium to an output receptacle,optionally via some form of finisher such as, for example, a staplingdevice.

The systems and methods according to this disclosure will be describedas being particularly adaptable to use multi-function devices (MFDs),but the systems and methods according to this disclosure should not beconsidered as being limited by any particular combination of imageprocessing and/or media handling component operations in an individualdevice.

Imaging operations may be controlled by a Graphical User Interface (GUI)on an image forming device, or otherwise by the user interaction withremote workstation that replaces, or augments, the functions of the GUI.When composite operations occur, the ordering and origin are significantto the output product, but there is nothing inherent in the conventionalGUI, or other user interface, to explicitly show the ordering. Further,the ordering varies based on the particular device hardware and internalimage paths through the particular device. To decouple the userexperience from the underlying hardware behavior, a GUI according tothis disclosure is reconfigured to provide the user with flexibility todescribe how the operations will proceed according to user input, and toprovide explicit clarity as to actual underlying ordering.

The disclosed systems and methods allow the user to walk up to the imageforming device and specify the origin and the order of operations. So,for example, given a particular image processing card inside a printer,the image processing card will assist in accomplishing an image shiftand/or a rotation and/or scaling, as appropriate. To the extent,however, that it is the software, or the hardware, that is assisting theuser in accomplishing a particular task, the software or the hardwaremust reference a particular origin, and undertake specific operations inparticular directions with respect to those origins. As such, the user'sselections may be used to override the inherent coordinate space builtinto the hardware and/or the software of the image forming device. Inother words, the user's experience may be decoupled from the specificsof the software or the hardware construct including origins anddirections of operations that is programmed into the particular imageforming device.

The user is free to select which origins, axes of operations and orderof operations the user desires. An ability to pick which origins andorder of operations the user desires is useful because such user desirescan be used, for example, to establish a policy. For example, when auser enters a competitive environment among multiple image processingdevice vendors, and the user wants systems to operate similarly in avendor agnostic manner, the user's desires in this regard can be easilyaccommodated.

In a currently-deployed office MFD, the “Copy” screen displayed on theGUI may provide options for the user to select “Reduce/Enlarge” and/or“Rotate Side 2,” for example, on a top level screen or page. However, toperform an image shift, the user may need to navigate via a lower levelscreen on the GUI as, for example, a Layout Adjustment tab to present an“Image Shift” icon. Selecting the “Image Shift” icon then may bring theuser to a screen to specify shift amounts. All of these operations areorigin-dependent. For instance, scaling is relative to the particularorigin. In instances, for example, where a “Copy/Scan” platen origin isdifferent from an “RIP” (e.g., PostScript) origin, scaling producesdifferent behaviors in a scan path versus a print path.

The disclosed GUI co-locates imaging operations on a single screen ofthe GUI, or one closely-related screens in a manner not previouslyundertaken. The disclosed GUI adds customizable graphics specificallydirected at allowing a user to select an origin and a list box ofoperations that can be re-ordered via a common drag-and-drop paradigmusing, for example, either a cursor or a hand icon to select the origin,and the order of operations. When selected, the origin can behighlighted in order that the user is presented visual feedbackregarding the user's selection.

FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary configuration for a first page of auser-interactive display 200 for implementing the systems and methodsaccording to this disclosure. The user-interactive display 200 may beincorporated in a GUI associated with a particular image forming device,or may otherwise be available on a display user workstationcommunicating with an image forming device. It should be noted that, ina preferred embodiment, the first page of the user-interactive displayshown in FIG. 2 would be combined in a single display with the secondpage of the user-interactive display shown in FIG. 3. It should be notedthat the exemplary depiction of the display shown in each of FIGS. 2 and3 is exemplary only in order to clarify the disclosed subject matter. Nospecific configuration to the display should be imputed to theillustrations of exemplary embodiments in either of FIG. 2 or 3.

As shown in FIG. 2, the first page 200 of the user-interactive displaymay provide the user with an option to select a specific origin forimaging operations and axes of operations for those imaging operationsin the image forming device with which the user-interactive display isassociated. As a portion of the specified origin selection screen, anindication 210 of a current origin 215, and of current axes of operation217,219, emanating from the current origin 215, associated with anoutline of a generic image receiving medium may be displayed. A user maybe afforded an option in the same indication, or otherwise in a separateindication 220 as shown, to select, for example, a same or differingorigin by moving a cursor to, or otherwise highlighting with, forexample, a screen that supports gestures, one of several fields 222-228to represent a separate origin that the user desires to select. The usermay also be afforded an option in the same indication, or otherwise in aseparate indication field 230 as shown, to select, for example, same ordiffering axes of operations for association with the separate originthat the user has selected. In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 2,the user may be afforded an opportunity, for example, to identify eachof four axes specified by the arrows shown in element 230 in FIG. 2 ascorresponding to a chosen “X” axis, “Y” axis, and a non-selected ornon-operating, “N” axis. It should be recognized that the format forselection of either operating origins, or axes of operations, may takeon many different embodiments involving many different static orinteractive depictions. Additionally, although not specifically depictedin FIG. 2, like depictions may be included to afford the user anopportunity to select a direction of rotation for operations in theimage forming device with which the user-interactive display isassociated. Finally, options may be provided for the user to “Accept”260 or “Cancel” 270 a particular selection of an updated origin.

FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary configuration of a second page 300 of auser-interactive display for implementing the systems and methodsaccording to this disclosure. As shown in FIG. 3, the user may beafforded an opportunity to select an order of operations. As with thedisplay in FIG. 2, this page of the user-interactive display may beconfigured in any manner that facilitates user interaction for thespecified purpose.

This page 300 of the user-interactive display may include an indication310 of a current order of the operations. A separate indication 330 mayprovide a listing of available operations from which a user may selectto populate, for example, a third indication 350 of the user'sarrangement of the specified order of operations. A user's selections ofindividual operations and placing those individual operations in aspecified order may be made by moving a cursor to, or otherwisehighlighting with, for example, a touchscreen, one of several operationslisted in the separate indication 330 of the available operations.Otherwise, the user may be afforded a mechanism by which todrag-and-drop a differing order of operations according to the user'sdesires. As with the screen presented in FIG. 2, options may be providedfor the user to “Accept” 360 or “Cancel” 370 a particular selection ofan updated order of operations.

With reference to FIG. 3, it should be noted that the Rotate operationis defined first in the first indication 310 of the current order ofoperations. The Rotate operation may be chosen by a user to be moved tothe last position in the order of operations, as shown in the additionalindication 350 of the user-selected ordering of the operations. In thismanner, the ordering is manipulated by the user to change the specifiedorder from Rotate, then Scale, then Translate to Translate, then Scale,then Rotate by simply dragging the imaging operations into a new anddifferent ordering.

Transparent to the user then, if any actual values have been entered bythe user, such as, for example, values regarding an amount of shift,these values would be automatically updated with the correct values forthe new ordering, to achieve the same result. The same would apply tothe origin, so for example, the shift value from one origin to theclosest corner would be different than a different origin to the newclosest corner. Regardless of the changes input by the user via thedisclosed user interface, it should be recognized that the values willbe automatically updated to be correct for the newly-definedoperability.

The user can specify an origin. The user can specify axes of operations.The user can define the order of operations. The user can accomplishthis at a point where the user walks up to the machine. Otherwise, asystem administrator may set up a particular user-desired origin andorder of operations as a system policy.

In this manner, operation of a particular image forming device isdecoupled from being defined by the underlying hardware or software andis manipulable by user interaction via the user interface. The manner inwhich the device behaves is modified according to a user's desires withan objective of making the user experience with one machine replicatethat of the user experience with another machine.

Another advantage is that the job tickets can be submitted, particularlyin an instance where the functions shown above are undertaken by a userat a user workstation, and updated to specifically identify origins andorders of operations in a manner that achieves commonality betweenoperations undertaken in different devices. An advantage here is thatfor multiple operations, an order can be specified to ensure that theoutcome is repeatable according to user's desires across differentclasses and vendors of image forming devices.

For ticket translation from one device to the other, a side-by-sidelisting of the current selections and user-requested selections couldallow for simultaneous viewing of a current behavior (non-editable) anda range of visual selections for a new behavior (define needed mappingattributes for directing the hardware functioning of the device,otherwise referred to as “under the hood”). This functionality may beappended as an extension to another visual ticket editor, or may bepresented as a standalone functionality.

Unique concepts embodied in this disclosure include an ability to extendthe performance of image forming device emulation discussed in thisinventor's earlier work. These concepts are specifically directed at asimple implementation for operability in an office level image formingdevice. By manipulating a user interface in the manner disclosed, a useris afforded an opportunity to remove the implicit fixed operabilityresident in a particular image forming device making operations for theimage forming device explicit and simply customizable according to auser's desires. An advantage of the disclosed system is that it enablesmapping of job tickets from one device to another in terms of imagingoperations.

FIG. 4 illustrates a block diagram of an exemplary system 400 forimplementing user-customizable operability for imaging operations inimage forming devices according to this disclosure. The exemplary system400 may be a component of a particular image forming device. Otherwise,the exemplary system 400 may be a standalone system apart from, but inwired or wireless communication with, an image forming device.

The exemplary system 400 may include a user interface 410 by which auser may communicate with the exemplary system 400. The user interface410 may be configured as one or more conventional mechanisms common tocomputing devices such as, for example, a user's workstation that permitthe user to input information to the exemplary system 400. The userinterface 410 may be associated with an integral display capability of adata/display device 420 as components of a GUI in the image formingdevice. In such an embodiment, the user interface 410 may include, forexample, some manner of touchscreen with “soft” buttons, or with variouscomponents for use with a compatible stylus, by which the user may beable to specify functions as discussed above, by touching specificregions of the touchscreen, or by dragging and dropping displayed iconson the touchscreen. Otherwise, the user interface 410 may be associatedwith a separate data output/display device 420 as part of a userworkstation and may include, for example, a conventional keyboard andmouse, or a microphone by which a user may provide oral commands to theexemplary system 400 to be “translated” by a voice recognition program.Despite the location, or configuration, of the user interface 410, it isintended to encompass a medium by which a user may communicate specificoperating instructions to the exemplary system 400.

The user interface 410 may be specifically employed in the context ofthis disclosure as a medium by which to specify a different origin, or adifferent order of operations, to be employed by an image forming devicein executing an image forming function according to a user's desires.See, e.g., the depictions and accompanying descriptions regarding FIGS.2 and 3 above.

The exemplary system 400 may include a data output/display device 420that may display information regarding user inputs provided via the userinterface 410 as well as information regarding the functioning of theexemplary system 400. The data output/display device 420 may be used todisplay any manner of visual or graphical depiction that will facilitateuser interaction with an image forming device according to the systemsand methods of this disclosure. Specifically, user-selectable optionsfor designating a specific origin, or order of operations, may bepresented to the user for selection.

The data output/display device 420 may comprise any conventional meansby which to display relevant data regarding the functioning of theexemplary system 400, and may provide the user, in conjunction with theuser interface 410, a means to interactively communicate with, andcontrol, the functions undertaken by the exemplary system 400. Asindicated above, the data output/display device 420 may be co-locatedwith the user interface 410 as components of a GUI in the image formingdevice with which the exemplary system 400 may be associated.

The exemplary system 400 may include one or more local processors 430for individually operating the exemplary system 400 and carrying outspecific portions of data retrieval and inherent reordering functions ofthe exemplary system 400. Processor(s) 430 may include at least oneconventional processor or microprocessor and may comprise, for example,a Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) or a Central Processing Unit (CPU) asthose terms are understood by one of skill in the art, that may beprovided to interpret and execute instructions in cooperation with othersystem components for executing the disclosed processing scheme formodification of behavior of an image forming device based on user inputsmade via a user interface 410. The processor(s) 430 may take inputsreceived via the user interface 410 and reset an origin or order ofoperations by which the image forming device conducts image processingfunctions according to a user's desires.

The exemplary system 400 may include one or more data storage devices440 to store relevant data, and/or such operating programs as may beused by the exemplary system 400, and specifically the processor(s) 430to carry into effect the resetting of origins and reordering ofoperations according to the user's desires in the manner disclosed. Atleast one data storage device 440 may be designated to storemathematical representations of operations (transformations) executableby a specific image forming device with which the exemplary system 400is in communication. These stored mathematical representations may bereferenced by the processor(s) 430 when they user-specified re-orderingof operations is directed to modify the software overlay in a mannerthat executes the user's desired operating scheme in a device agnosticmanner.

Data storage device(s) 440 may include a random access memory (RAM) oranother type of dynamic storage device that is capable of storingcollected information, and separately of storing instructions forexecution of system operations by, for example, processor(s) 430. Datastorage device(s) 440 may also include a read-only memory (ROM), whichmay include a conventional ROM device or another type of static storagedevice that stores static information and instructions for processor(s)430.

The exemplary system 400 may include one or more external datacommunication interfaces 450. The one or more external datacommunication interface(s) 450 may be particularly relevant in instanceswhere the exemplary system 400 is displaced from, and in communicationwith, an image forming device with which the exemplary system 400 isassociated. In such instances, the external data communicationinterfaces 450 may be provided to facilitate wired or wirelesscommunication between the exemplary system 400 and the one or more imageforming devices with which the exemplary system 400 may be associated.

The exemplary system 400 may include an origin change device 460 thatmay be specifically employed by the exemplary system 400 to, forexample, receive a user-indicated origin that is different from anorigin used by an image forming device. The origin change device 460,autonomously, or in cooperation with the processor(s) 430 and/or thedata storage device 440, may mathematically represent a coordinatesystem defined by the user-indicated origin and apply a transformationto the mathematical representation of the user-indicated origin thatconverts reference to the user-indicated origin to a reference originprogrammed into the image forming device with which the exemplary system400 is associated. In this manner, the user is able to present an inputimage to the image forming device according to the user-indicated originin the origin change device 460 provides the mechanism whereby an outputfrom the image forming device is produced according to a user's desiresregardless of the user-indicated origin.

The exemplary system 400 may include an order of operations changedevice 470 that may be specifically employed by the exemplary system 400to, for example, receive a user-indicated order of operations that isdifferent from an order of operations used by an image forming device.The order of operations change device 470, autonomously, or incooperation with the processor(s) 430 and/or the data storage device440, may mathematically represent a transformation according to an orderof operations specified by the user-indicated order of operations andapply a transformation to the mathematical representation of theuser-indicated order of operations that converts a device-specific orderof operations to the user-indicated order of operations in the imageforming device with which the exemplary system 400 is associated. Inthis manner, the user is able to present an input image to the imageforming device and have that input image acted upon according to theuser-indicated order of operations based on transformations undertakenby the order of operations change device 470. The user is thus provideda mechanism whereby an output from the image forming device is producedaccording to a user's desires regardless of the user-indicated order ofoperations.

All of the various components of the exemplary system 400, as depictedin FIG. 4, may be connected by one or more data/control busses 480.These data/control busses 480 may provide wired or wirelesscommunication between the various components of the exemplary system 400regardless of whether those components are housed within, for example, asingle computing device as a component of an image forming device, asingle computing device in communication with an image forming device,or individual ones of the depicted components are housed independently.

It should be appreciated that, although depicted in FIG. 4 as whatappears to be an integral unit, the various disclosed elements of theexemplary system 400 may be arranged in any combination of sub-systemsas individual components or combinations of components, integral to asingle unit, or as separate components housed in one or more of a userworkstation, an image forming device, or otherwise in some device,associated with one or more image forming devices. Therefore, nospecific configuration for the exemplary system 400 is to be implied bythe depiction in FIG. 4.

The disclosed embodiments include a method for implementinguser-customizable operability for imaging operations in image formingdevices. FIG. 5 illustrates a flowchart of such an exemplary method. Asshown in FIG. 5, operation of the method commences at Step S5000 andproceeds to Step S5100.

In Step S5100, the user may be presented with a visual depiction bywhich the user can select an origin and axes of operation to be used inan imaging operation in an image forming device. The described visualdepiction is intended to provide the user with a simple means by whichto select an origin to be used for the imaging operation according toany one of known conventional means. The user may, for example, simplyhighlight a different corner in a depiction of an image receiving mediumdisplayed to the user on a display device such as, for example, a GUI.It should be noted that the user may also be afforded an opportunity toselect, for example, a direction of rotation for operations in the imageforming device. Operation of the method proceeds to Step S5200.

In Step S5200, a user's input indicating an origin to be used in theimage forming operation is obtained. The user's input may be obtained,for example, by receiving an indication via a GUI that includes atouchscreen of a user's selection based on the user interacting with atouchscreen. Other conventional methods for receiving the userindication of an origin to be used in the image forming operation,including by user interaction at a remote user workstation, arecontemplated. Operation of the method proceeds to Step S5300.

In Step S5300, a mathematical representation of a coordinate space forthe imaging is specified according to the user's input. Thismathematical representation provides a common framework by which todefine specific orientations and operations (transformations) that occurin the image forming device. Operation of the method proceeds to StepS5400.

In Step S5400, the user may be presented with a visual depiction bywhich the user can manipulate an order of operations to be used in animaging operation in an image forming device. The described visualdepiction is intended to provide the user with a simple means by whichto modify an order of operations to be used for the imaging operationaccording to any one of known conventional means. The user may, forexample, employ a drag-and-drop technique to modify an order ofoperations for the image forming device that is displayed to the user ona display device such as, for example, a GUI. Operation of the methodproceeds to Step S5500.

In Step S5500, a user's input indicating a desired order of operationsto be used in the image forming operation is obtained. The user's inputmay be obtained, for example, by receiving an indication via a GUI thatincludes a touchscreen of a user's selection based on the userinteracting with a touchscreen. Other conventional methods for receivingthe user indication of an order of operations to be used in the imageforming operation, including by user interaction at a remote userworkstation, are contemplated. Operation of the method proceeds to StepS5600.

In Step S5600, a mathematical representation of a compositetransformation for the combination of operations in the user-specifiedorder may be specified. This mathematical representation provides acommon framework by which to define specific orientations and operations(transformations) that occur in the image forming device. Operation ofthe method proceeds to Step S5700.

In Step S5700, a mathematical conversion may be applied to themathematical representation of the user-indicated origin and theuser-indicated order of operations to achieve a user-intended outputfrom the image forming device according to the user obtained inputs. Inthis manner, the system may effectively compute an emulation whereby tomodify an input image generically in any image forming device accordingto the user's inputs. In embodiments, job tickets defining particularimage forming tasks to be undertaken by one or more image formingdevices may be modified according to the user inputs in order to producejob tickets that can be run on any image forming device according to auser's specified origin an order of operations. Operation methodproceeds to Step S5800.

In Step S5800, an input image arranged according to a user-specifiedorigin may be obtained in the image forming device. The input image maybe processed according to the user-indicated origin and order ofoperations in a manner that produces a user desired output from theimage forming device in a device agnostic manner. Operation the methodproceeds to Step S5900, where operation of the method ceases.

The disclosed embodiments may include a non-transitory computer-readablemedium storing instructions which, when executed by a processor, maycause the processor to execute all, or at least some, of the steps ofthe method outlined above.

The above-described exemplary systems and methods reference certainconventional components to provide a brief, general description ofsuitable processing and communicating means by which to carry intoeffect the user-selectable operations for directing imaging operationsin an image forming device for familiarity and ease of understanding.Although not required, elements of the disclosed exemplary embodimentsmay be provided, at least in part, in a form of hardware circuits,firmware, or software computer-executable instructions to carry out thespecific functions described. These may include individual programmodules executed by one or more processors. Generally, program modulesinclude routine programs, objects, components, data structures, and thelike that perform particular tasks, or implement particular data types,in support of the overall objective of the systems and methods accordingto this disclosure.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that other embodiments of thedisclosed subject matter may be practiced with many types of processingsystems in many different configurations attached to, or otherwiseassociated with, a wide range of image forming devices. It should berecognized that embodiments according to this disclosure may bepracticed, for example, in computing systems remote from, but in wiredor wireless communication with, a particular image forming device.Preferably, however, the systems and methods according to thisdisclosure are incorporated in a GUI on the image forming device.Embodiments according to this disclosure may be practiced in networkenvironments, where processing and control tasks may be performedaccording to instructions input at a user's workstation and/or accordingto predetermined schemes that may be stored in data storage devices andexecuted by particular processors, which may in communication with oneor more image forming devices.

As indicated above, embodiments within the scope of this disclosure mayalso include computer-readable media having stored computer-executableinstructions or data structures that can be accessed, read and executedby one or more processors. Such computer-readable media can be anyavailable media that can be accessed by a processor, general purpose orspecial purpose computer. By way of example, and not limitation, suchcomputer-readable media can comprise RAM, ROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM, flashdrives, data memory cards or other analog or digital data storage devicethat can be used to carry or store desired program elements or steps inthe form of accessible computer-executable instructions or datastructures. When information is transferred, or provided, over a networkor via another communications connection, whether wired, wireless, or insome combination of the two, the receiving processor properly views theconnection as a computer-readable medium. Combinations of the aboveshould also be included within the scope of the computer-readable mediafor the purposes of this disclosure.

Computer-executable instructions include, for example, non-transitoryinstructions and data that can be executed and accessed respectively tocause a processor to perform certain of the above-specified functions,individually or in various combinations. Computer-executableinstructions may also include program modules that are remotely storedfor access and execution by a processor.

The exemplary depicted sequence of executable instructions or associateddata structures represents one example of a corresponding sequence ofacts for implementing the functions described in the steps. Theexemplary depicted steps may be executed in any reasonable order toeffect the objectives of the disclosed embodiments. No particular orderto the disclosed steps of the method is necessarily implied by thedepiction in FIG. 5, and the accompanying description, except where aparticular method step is a necessary precondition to execution of anyother method step.

Although the above description may contain specific details, they shouldnot be construed as limiting the claims in any way. Other configurationsof the described embodiments of the disclosed systems and methods arepart of the scope of this disclosure.

It will be appreciated that various of the above-disclosed and otherfeatures and functions, or alternatives thereof, may be desirablycombined into many other different systems or applications. Variouspresently unforeseen or unanticipated alternatives, modifications,variations, or improvements therein may be subsequently made by thoseskilled in the art which are also intended to be encompassed by thefollowing claims.

We claim:
 1. A method for modifying operations in an image formingdevice, comprising: obtaining an indication of a user-specified originto be used for an imaging operation in an image forming device, theuser-specified origin defining a first coordinate system for the imagingoperation; identifying a transformation operation for converting thefirst coordinate system to a second coordinate system, the secondcoordinate system being used by hardware components in the image formingdevice for executing the imaging operation; receiving input image dataaccording to the user-specified origin in the first coordinate system;applying, with a processor, the identified transformation operation tothe input image data to transform the input image data in the firstcoordinate system to image data in the second coordinate system; anddirecting processing of the image data in the second coordinate systemfor the imaging operation in the image forming device, the image formingdevice outputting a result of the imaging operation.
 2. The method ofclaim 1, further comprising: presenting to a user a visual graphicaldisplay identifying a current origin for the imaging operation in theimage forming device; and obtaining the indication of the user-specifiedorigin for the imaging operation based on user interaction with thevisual graphic display by which the user identifies the user-specifiedorigin.
 3. The method of claim 2, the visual graphic display beingpresented to the user on at least one of a graphical user interface ofthe image forming device and a display device of a separate userworkstation associated with the image forming device.
 4. The method ofclaim 2, the user interaction with the visual graphic display includingindicating the user-specified origin by at least one of (1) positioninga cursor over a particular portion of the visual graphic display andclicking on the particular portion of the visual graphic displaypresented on an interactive display device and (2) touching theparticular portion of the visual graphic display presented on atouchscreen display device.
 5. The method of claim 1, furthercomprising: obtaining an indication of a user-specified order ofoperations to be used for the imaging operation in the image formingdevice; and directing the processing of the image data for the imagingoperation in the image forming device according to the user-specifiedorder of operations.
 6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:presenting to a user a plurality of individual imaging operationscomprising a current order of operations for the imaging operation inthe image forming device; and obtaining the indication of theuser-specified origin for the imaging operation based on userinteraction with the visual graphic display by which the user reordersthe plurality of individual imaging operations to obtain theuser-specified order of operations.
 7. The method of claim 6, the visualgraphic display being presented to the user on at least one of agraphical user interface of the image forming device and a displaydevice of a separate user workstation associated with the image formingdevice.
 8. The method of claim 7, the visual graphic display presentingelements on a single display screen by which the user can indicate bothof the user-specified origin and the user-specified order of operationsfor the imaging operation.
 9. The method of claim 6, the userinteraction with the visual graphic display including indicating theuser-specified order of operations by dragging-and-dropping at least oneof the plurality of individual imaging operations to a differentposition in the current order of operations in order to indicate theuser-specified order of operations.
 10. The method of claim 1, theidentified transformation operation being applied to modify a pluralityof job tickets identifying a plurality of imaging operations to beexecuted by the image forming device.
 11. The method of claim 10, theplurality of job tickets being further modified to include auser-specified order of operations for the plurality of imagingoperations to be executed by the image forming device.
 12. A system formodifying operations in an image forming device, comprising: a displaydevice that displays a visual graphical display identifying at least acurrent origin for an imaging operation in an image forming device; auser interface by which a user inputs an indication of a user-specifiedorigin for the imaging operation; a processor that (1) identifies atransformation operation for converting the first coordinate system to asecond coordinate system, the second coordinate system being used byhardware components in the image forming device for the imagingoperation, (2) receives input image data according to the user-specifiedorigin in the first coordinate system, (3) applies the identifiedtransformation operation to the input image data to transform the inputimage data in the first coordinate system to image data in the secondcoordinate system; and (4) directs processing of the image data in thesecond coordinate system for the imaging operation in the image formingdevice, the image forming device outputting a result of the imagingoperation.
 13. The system of claim 12, the display device and the userinterface being components of a graphical user interface of the imageforming device
 14. The system of claim 12, the display device and theuser interface being components of a separate user workstationassociated with the image forming device.
 15. The system of claim 12,the display device being further configured to additionally display, asa portion of the visual graphical display, identification of a currentorder of operations for the imaging operation in the image formingdevice, and the user interface being further configured to obtain a userinput of a user-specified order of operations for the imaging operation.16. The system of claim 15, the processor being further programmed todirect the processing of the image data for the imaging operation in theimage forming device according to the user-specified order ofoperations.
 17. The system of claim 12, the processor being furtherprogrammed to modify a plurality of job tickets identifying a pluralityof imaging operations to be executed by the image forming device byapplying the identified transformation operation to the plurality ofimaging operations to be executed by the image forming device identifiedby the plurality of job tickets.
 18. The system of claim 17, theprocessor being further programmed to modify the plurality of jobtickets to include a user-specified order of operations for theplurality of imaging operations to be executed by the image formingdevice.
 19. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storinginstructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor toexecute the steps of a method comprising: obtaining an indication of auser-specified origin to be used for an imaging operation in an imageforming device, the user-specified origin defining a first coordinatesystem for the imaging operation; identifying a transformation operationfor converting the first coordinate system to a second coordinatesystem, the second coordinate system being used by hardware componentsin the image forming device for executing the imaging operation;receiving input image data according to the user-specified origin in thefirst coordinate system; applying the identified transformationoperation to the input image data to transform the input image data inthe first coordinate system to image data in the second coordinatesystem; and directing processing of the image data in the secondcoordinate system for the imaging operation in the image forming device,the image forming device outputting a result of the imaging operation.20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19, the stepsof the method further comprising: obtaining an indication of auser-specified order of operations to be used for the imaging operationin the image forming device; and directing the processing of the imagedata for the imaging operation in the image forming device according tothe user-specified order of operations.